After my complete and utter disappointment I experienced from playing Farm Frenzy 4 earlier today, I was hesitant to tackle yet another series that I was fond of. I'm not sure I could handle another let down as big as the last one... I just might have to open a bottle of wine and sit in the corner and cry for a few hours if they managed to ruin Natural Threat 2 as well.
However, from the moment I heard those first haunting notes drawn out by a sorrowful violin and accompanied by the hesitant tinkling of the piano, I knew I had nothing to worry about.
The title screen was stunning, dripping in shadows with subtle hints of animation that rippled across the screen. I couldn't wait to hit play and discover what horror the plants had in store for us this time.
It seems that some kind of malevolence is bubbling up, as the city is beset with huge mutating plants bent on eating anything and anybody that is unfortunate enough to get in their way.
How freaking fun is that?! It's like one of those old time horror films, like The Blob or Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. And guess what? Not a detective in sight! Just scene after scene of snapping, poison-dripping plants eating people!
Now might be a good time to mention that Natural Threat 2 is probably not for the kids... there are actually scenes where the plants are eating people... which is awesome, but could be traumatizing. You might find all your house plants have been chucked outside while you weren't looking.
The story is carried along by some decent cut scenes, although the animation was a bit hazy and choppy at times... definitely not as crisp or clear as I would have liked, but I do appreciate the effort to draw me deeper into the story, and there were some really polished scenes that made up for the sub-par ones.
The voiceovers made me cringe a little... some of them just didn't seem to fit their characters and at times it was hard for me to believe that THAT voice went with that person. The overall acting wasn't bad, especially when you take into consideration the script they had to work with... some of the lines fell a bit flat.
The graphics were absolutely gorgeous, presenting us with some really detailed scenes, full of shadows and a superior color palette that boasted complex shades of blue and green. It's easy to get caught up in the story and not notice the star speckled night sky behind that voracios plant that's currently swallowing that man, but do try to take a moment and appreciate the visuals in Natural Threat 2, because some of them are truly spectacular.
The music was downright lovely, varied, with excellent pacing. In dangerous situations, it would begin to increase in intensity, percolating our tensions, and drawing us into the precariousness of the scene. When the danger wasn't so immanent, we would return to the haunting draws of the violin, again immersed in uneasy sorrow.
The sounds of Natural Threat 2 complemented the music as well and were carefully selected to fit the scenes. The buzz of night insects filled the air when you were walking around outside, the eerie sound of a metal chain swinging in the yard echoed from a distance as you walked down the street... everything seemed to aim at building up this sci-fi world that you could easily get lost in.
Hidden object scenes were your general run-of-the-mill find items in piles of junk kind, but the scenes themselves were nice to look at, although not particularly challenging.
The puzzles and mini-games on the other hand were another story. I encountered some pretty unique and difficult puzzles in Natural Threat 2. Some frustrated me, and I didn't even bother with them, but others were so unique and interesting that I actually sat there for a few minutes and tried to figure them out.
One thing that did strike me as a little off about Natural Threat 2 was the loading times between certain animations or scenes seemed to take a little longer than I was accustomed to. They did use a ton of animation throughout the game, so I don't doubt that was the issue. It didn't bother me enough to really annoy me though. When I play hidden object games, I try to set my patience level up a few notches. It's more about the story than anything for me.
Overall, Natural Threat 2 was a really beautiful game that was highly entertaining, especially if you harbor a love for old sci-fi movies. While not perfect, it definitely made my day a little brighter... even if I was watching plants eat people... OK... that's kind of messed up...true though.